She's back! After 5 years, Yoon Eun-Hye returns to the small screen with a webtoon adaption.
Love Alert or Fluttering Warning (alternate title) is about Yoo Yoo-Jung (Yoon Eun-Hye) a top actress and on-screen romance queen but her real life is nothing like her reputation makes her out to be. She has extremely poor tastes in men and fails when it comes to relationships despite desperately wanting to fall in love and to be genuinely happy, realizing how much of her life she's dedicated to her career.
Cha Woo-Hyun (Chun Jung-Myung) on the other hand, is a highly sought after Dermatologist with VIP clientele, diligently earning his keep while steering clear from any matchmaking schemes his mother puts forth. After many incidents, family pressures, and media scandals, Yoo-Jung and Woo-Hyun agree to a contractually binding relationship, pretending to be dating for 3 months and intentionally producing their own love scandal.
There's a lot to discuss even if the drama is simplistic and generic in its format. MBN sticks to its philosophy of giving us the textbook versions of dramas primarily found in the early 2000s with a meddling Chaebol father, a rich heiress, and all the machinations of the top star life.Yet despite this, I can't help but fall susceptible to the 'contract' theme and the leads that are simply really likeable.
Unlike past MBN dramas like Witch's Love or Rich Man, Poor Woman, the male lead here is a breath of fresh air. He isn't stoic, brooding, aggressive or territorial but embodies the 'nice guy' persona we've seen countless times being typecast as second male leads, who get tossed aside and supposedly lacking in comparison to lukewarm male leads. Woo-Hyun is warm hearted and very real as well as respectful from the very start through his interactions with Yoo-Jung, allowing her to easily place her trust in him, creating a more natural dynamic to their relationship. Chun Jung-Myung does a great job of being severely cold when it comes to Woo-Hyun's oppressing father but authentically cordial when it comes to others.
Of course I can't leave Yoon Eun-Hye, and I'll admit that her character isn't anything spectacularly different but Yoo-Jung has charms underneath her exterior and glam. She's transparent around Woo-Hyun and an honestly good natured individual, far removed from the typical diva or snobbish actress so often portrayed in K-dramas. And I praise the main leads a lot because I think the chemistry is well received while the dialogue and their contact, well thought out, instead of over the top and outrageous. That being the case, the acting is definitely solid...between them anyways. It's like taking a luxury liner ship and tossing it into a kiddie pool. Misplaced and clearly meant to sail on clear blue waters.
Plot wise however, the drama is your typical cliché in regards to Woo-Hyun's family, Yoo-Jung's agency, and the idea that sparks will fly to create a sweet romance. So same old, same old but with possible surprises in store. And I make this assumption since there is a point of reference and foundation to base the storyline on, and that would be the webtoon. I'm not sure how popular the original source material is, but unlike past MBN dramas that were originally produced or an adaption of another drama, this one has more hope and the possibility to be decent if not amazing.
Moreover, I find myself desperately fast-forwarding anything that has to do with Woo-Hyun's father and potential bride candidate who can't seem to take a hint, but thoroughly enjoy the mature but fun presence created by our romantic duo. I'm a sucker for fake relationships forged by contracts and have my fingers crossed that this one will give me some romantic feels despite its blaring flaws.
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